The present invention relates to golf clubs that have improved performance due to their unique construction and design of the interconnection of the golf club head and the golf club shaft which replaces the hosel of conventional golf clubs of the prior art. In particular, longer golf clubs commonly referred to as woods are provided with a striking face having a face angle and a loft angle to direct the golf ball when the striking face of the club head of the golf club, upon being swung by the golfer, impacts the golf ball. The club head has a center of percussion which is located in the center of club head at which point the full effect of the mass of the club head is concentrated. The center of percussion transposed to the striking face is called the "sweet spot" in golfer's language. A golfer tries to hit the golf ball as close to the "sweet spot" as possible to gain greater accuracy and distance for the hit golf ball. The shaft is usually received within the hosel of the club head. The hosel of the conventional club head is integrally formed with the club head to provide a long-necked portion that extends upwardly at an angle for several inches from the upper surface of the heel portion of the club head. The hosel has a straight hole extending along its center axis which receives the bottom end of the elongated shaft. The shaft is bonded to the hosel by an adhesive. Usually, hosels of wood club designs are reinforced with a tightly wound thread. The shaft is received in the hole of the hosel at an angle of about 55 degrees with the horizontal ground plane when the club head is resting on the ground and the golf club held by the golfer in a ready-to-swing position. U.S. Pat. No. 1,515,390 depicts the shaft being received in the hosel.
The center axis of the shaft in the hole of the hosel is substantially rearward of the center of percussion as seen in FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,518 of the prior art. The radial distance from the center of percussion to the center axis of the shaft is approximately one inch (2.54 cm.) which creates a couple effect that reacts radially when the golf ball is struck by the golf club head. This distance results in a force couple which has to be overcome or compensated for by the club head design or by manipulation by the golfer of the club shaft. In golf club heads, a corresponding counter balanced mass of material must be provided radially opposite the lower portion of the shaft and its support material which includes the hosel. The further away these masses are from the center of percussion, the greater the effect they have on the golf ball when it is impacted by the golf club head, especially when the golf ball is hit off-center by the golfer.